SALVATION
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Jesus suffered and died as payment for our sins, and on the third day He arose again!
Have you ever gotten angry at a friend and said something mean? Have you ever taken a pencil from school or money from your mom…without asking? How about telling a lie? Or have you done something your parents told you not to? All of these are sins. A sin is something we say, think, or do that goes against God’s Word. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned. Romans 6:23 goes on to say that the wages of sin is death. If you are a sinner (which we all are) you deserve total separation from God—eternal death.
But…
God loves us so much, He gave us a very special gift. Romans 6:23 also says that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus, God’s only son, chose to die in our place so that we could have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while the people waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna, the King is coming.” He knew it was His last trip into Jerusalem. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday He continued to teach and visit the Temple.
On Thursday, Jesus had a special meal with His disciples. The meal was called the Last Supper. It was the last meal Jesus would eat before He died. The disciples often argued about who would be first or who was more important. Jesus wanted them to learn to serve one another so He gave them an example. As they were getting ready for the meal, Jesus took a bowl of water and a towel and washed His disciple’s feet. This job was usually done by a servant. Jesus was teaching them to serve one another.
After the meal, Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus knew that dying on the cross would be hard and painful. He asked God if He really had to do it but surrendered to God’s Will. He prayed, “…not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). While Jesus was praying, a group led by Judas came to arrest Jesus. Instead, of going with Jesus to help Him, the disciples scattered and ran away. They were afraid.
That night, Jesus went from place to place to be questioned. He was also whipped and beaten. The soldiers put a purple robe on His wounded back and a crown of thorns on His head. They made fun of Him and called Him a king. They did not realize the He already was the King of kings. Pontius Pilate finally brought Jesus in front of the crowd and they yelled, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” (“Let him be crucified.”) (Matthew 27:23).
On that same day, two thieves were crucified with Jesus. They had actually done something wrong and were caught. Did Jesus do anything wrong? NO! He was dying for our sins. One thief made fun of Jesus, but the other asked for forgiveness. Jesus told Him that today he would be with Him in paradise.
Although Jesus was nailed to the cross through His hands and feet, the Bible says that He could have called 10,000 angels to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53). The nails did not keep Him on the cross, His Love for us did!
As Jesus was dying, the Bible says that the sky turned dark like night time. If you were there and listened closely, you would hear Jesus say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). When He finally died, there was an earthquake. Even the earth was crying for Him.
Thankfully, for us, Jesus did not stay dead! A few of His friends buried Him in a stone tomb. The soldiers guarded the tomb to make sure no one stole Jesus’ body. On Sunday morning, Mary and a few other women came to visit the tomb. When they got there, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. An angel asked them why they were looking for the living among the dead. “He is not here: for He is risen” (Matthew 28:6)!
We enjoy Easter egg hunts and baskets full of candy, but the true reason we celebrate Easter is because Jesus rose from the dead and offers us forgiveness from sins and New Life!
Curriculum by: Becky Fladie (InFaith)